There is only one major problem with water on this planet, an that is that it is too often under-priced or given away for free. the reality is that there is plenty of water for everyone...but it is not free. Water is always an energy problem. Given cheap energy, one can always desalinate from the ocean, as the Saudis do. Doomsayers including Mr. Chellaney argue that as the human population grows we will have water scarcity. The reality is that as the world gets richer, we will increasingly be able to afford more water. One small example : Leaky pipes in India waste 50% of water between reservoir and home. If water were priced correctly, the pipes would get fixed. One of the bigger exporters of fruits and vegetables is Israel (3.6% of GDP), which has very little water. This tells you that people can and will use water better if it is priced better.

Using Israel as an example of purely a pricing mechanism to maximize water usage skips two important factors in the price of Israeli water. One is that it gets a huge percentage from the West Bank for which it pays vastly less than the local Palestinians. It also controls all the water in the West Bank. The second is the fact that Israel has never lived up to its water sharing agreement with the Kingdom of Jordan over the water rights of the Jordan River. For this it basically steals from its neighboring country for free and dares them to retaliate. It also has time and time again refused the damming of the Yarmouk River in Syria and Jordan. As an example of prudent and market driven fair usage of water for the world to emulate one must look further afield than Israel I am afraid.

This article does not show the rigour we are used to from its author.
Howsoever "miserably", 150bn livestock and just 7bn humans ARE living, so there can be no dire state of lack of water- these figure are even, within reason, interchangeable.
The struggle for which the "humans" are to be and will be damned is the utter disrespect/ contempt for its quality- we are unconcerned, it is THE real life giver. A country/ society needs be judged by how well it cares (manages) for its water.
In Author's country top quality water is contaminated no sooner it leaves and heads towards its users, whereas in Germany the water from the tap is better than the bottled. In deed, water awareness in Germany has become so acute that water companies are having to beg its customers to use more, since it is creating problems for the other side of the process- i.e., used water canalisation.
In terms of economy, it is laughable to think that Israel with its desert farming is exporting water in form of agriculture and Germans with ample water, machines. This trend seems the norm- water deficient counties indirectly just exporting water.

An important issue.
The first priority should be to protect the current sources from the destruction brought on by short term stupidity such as fracking and pollution of the water table.
Second should be social guarantees of adequate free rations of water per capita.
Third should be a planning, including all of society, for new expansion in areas where there is water stress.

The poor should not have to pay for the water crisis. A great deal can be done in conservation. collection, recycling and other low cost options. The decisions are being taken at a level where the reality of poverty is not experienced.

I very appreciated and important awareness raising article.
Basically all factors threatening short or long term water supply originates from s single reason: modern humanity's lifestyle based on unnatural, excessive demand regardless of available resources.
The constant quantitative growth economy, the constant brainwashing urging people to consume more, to eat and drink more, way above natural standards and necessities is the basis of all present and future crisis situations humanity is facing.
This artificially inflated human system has already exhausted human resources, indicated by social inequality, rising unemployment, unsolvable debt burden, tensions and riots, and we are very close to experience significant natural resources shortage, including water as the article highlighted.
There are no simple solutions, adjustments, we need to completely change our lifestyle and attitude to ourselves and the natural system.
After all humanity is still part of the natural system and have to adapt to it as any other species in order to survive.
We all need an urgent, global, integral education program helping people to understand what a natural, global and integral system means and how we could adapt to such a system.
If mass media was changed in a way that instead of the incessant brainwashing urging people to consume 24/7, transparent and scientific education program would be broadcasted, helping people to settle into our world system harmoniously we would see results within weeks, even days.
As soon as our artificial "Matrix" is switched off we could become free and more balanced almost immediately, capable of building a safe and predictable future not only for 7 billion but even double that amount.
We have enough of everything, the question is how we use it (based on excessive demand or based on available resources and natural demand) and how we distribute it.

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